Would a Worm Go on a Walk?

In a series of jaunty rhymes, Hall (God Bless Our Fall) asks fanciful hypothetical questions involving eight animals: “Would a worm go on a walk/ if you could lead him down the street?/ Would he wear his tiny tennies/ if he had four worm-sized feet?” There’s nothing wrong with a premise that reminds children that, no, worms don’t actually have feet, and pigs’ hooves aren’t well suited to playing the piano, but the conditional structure of Hall’s questions is at odds with her intent. “Would a penguin use a parachute/ if she jumped out of a plane?” Sure, penguins don’t really fly, but in the proposed scenario, the answer is probably... yes. Bolton (Oddsockosaurus) has fun picturing dancing possums, skateboarding turtles, and lipstick-wearing ladybugs in vibrant cartoony illustrations—fun that is repeatedly undercut by Hall’s reminders that such scenarios aren’t real. The ultimate message is that “the animals were just a start,/ God’s masterpiece is you,” but children are more likely to respond to the book’s playfully silly moments than its humdrum reminders of limitation. Ages 4–7. Author’s agent: Sally Apokedak, Leslie H. Stobbe Literary Agency. (Apr.)